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Punk, Politics, Protest Songs.

Throughout the semester, we’ve established that women are a force to be reckoned with, both powerful and dangerous. The firey, impassioned sense of femininity that we often discuss is something that I find to be emblematic of a larger cultural movement, one that associates womanhood with strength in lieu of fragility. In the wake of an election that directly threatens the rights of women, people of color, the LGBTQIA community, and other historically marginalized groups, it’s easy to feel defeated. But I’d like to instead provide a solution, a sort of soundtrack to our revolution. In times of political strife or oppression, punk bands often take to the mic to express outrage and demand their identities be protected and respected. The following songs, a mix of riot grrl, alternative, queercore, and political punk convey this frustration in a poignant, yet loud and aggressive, manner, delivering the message that women aren’t submissive or subdued. We are not to messed with.